Mendez said the county's total budget is 40.5 percent lower compared to the 2007-08 fiscal year. General fund spending, meanwhile, is on par with 2005-06 levels.

Like the other local governments in the Truckee Meadows, Washoe County is experiencing some modest tax growth — less than 1 percent overall. Property taxes, the primary source of income for the county is essentially flat.

Other highlights from the budget:

- The county will have an ending fund balance of 8.5 percent. That's basically a little more than a month's worth of cash on hand to meet ongoing expenses.

- The budget includes funding for 13 positions additional positions in the Sheriff's Office and eight more emergency dispatchers.